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Achievement Goals and Goal Progress as Drivers of Work Engagement
Tanja Bipp1, Ad Kleingeld2, Leonie Schelp3
19144Heidelberg University, Germany; Open University, the Netherlands.
Psychological Reports
|September 24, 2020
Summary
Setting learning goals enhances work engagement and performance. Pursuing these goals and making progress positively impacts motivation and productivity in the workplace.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Organizational Behavior
- Workplace Motivation
Background:
- Self-regulatory behavior, including achievement goals and goal progress, significantly influences work engagement.
- Understanding the interplay between different goal orientations and their impact on employee motivation is crucial for organizational success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of trait and state achievement goals in relation to work engagement.
- To examine the impact of goal progress on work engagement, particularly for different types of achievement goals.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted, involving 205 employees in Study 1 and 106 employees in Study 2.
- Study 1 assessed trait achievement goals (learning, performance-approach, performance-avoidance) and work engagement.
- Study 2 involved setting state achievement goals, measuring goal progress, and assessing work engagement after one week.
Main Results:
- Trait learning goals were positively associated with work engagement.
- State learning goals and goal progress were linked to higher work engagement, especially when pursuing learning or performance-approach goals.
- Performance-avoidance goals showed no significant relationship with work engagement.
Conclusions:
- Learning goals, at both trait and state levels, are key drivers of work engagement.
- Goal progress positively influences work engagement, particularly for learning and performance-approach goal pursuits.
- Findings offer practical insights for designing interventions to boost employee motivation and performance in organizational settings.
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